Temari Helps Naruto pack
by redrout
Summary: Naruto packs his things to move into the Namikaze estate. please read chapter 1 first, but mostly just read it.
1. Chapter 1

**Bold is kyubi**

_Italics is inner thoughts_

This happens shortly after a diplomatic mission in the land of stone where Naruto is assigned as bodyguard of Temari. While on said mission, shinobi from the hidden stone village attack Temari, thinking she is a spy, because they were not expecting her arrival. After being beaten, Temari is saved by Naruto, everything is explained, and everyone went home happy, though Naruto was badly hurt in the battle (broken shoulder).

Also Naruto has obtained more control of the Kyubi's chakra, if not the spirit of the Kyubi itself. This means: he can form the chakra better, but he still has difficulty controlling the extreme hatred within the Kyubi.

Where we left off

"Not all of Konoha hates you, Naruto. There are those who love you." Even as she said it, he knew it was true. He had become friends with several people in the village. He slowly regained his composure and disengaged from the only mother he had ever known. His blue eyes sparkled once more, all traces of anger gone, now replaced with that eagerness that befitted him.

"Thank you so much for that, Tsunade." He said, slightly smiling.

Tsunade spoke "now, go, you better get moved in before nightfall, I want to be able to rent that place you've been staying in out to somebody less loudmouthed."

Naruto smiled big and started walking toward the door. "I'll be sure to do that, granny Tsunade" and for maybe the first time, she did not feel the desire to throw something at him.

Where we begin

As Naruto walked to what would soon be an empty apartment, scroll in his equipment pouch, he thought about how he would move all of his stuff from his apartment, or for that matter, where the Namikaze estate even was.

_I could use shadow clones, but they always mess around and I'd get nothing done. And besides, they always argue with themselves; jeez, I'm annoying when I'm around myself. _He thought this with a laugh, the only had to deal with one Naruto; when Naruto was training, and he had to deal with himself hundreds of times over.

As he was thinking, he just so happened to see the world's laziest shinobi come walking out of one of the leaf's grocery stores, closely followed by Temari.

"Hey Shikamaru!" he yelled, running towards him.

_Aw, man, this is sure to be something troublesome,_ Shikamaru thought as he tried to think up any excuse NOT to do what Naruto wanted him to do.

"Shikamaru, can you help me move from my apartment?" Naruto said quickly with hopeful eyes.

Shikamaru groaned dramatically, "come on, Naruto, I've got to get these groceries home."

"Ah, it's not like you couldn't help me, you lazy jerk, and besides, you don't even have that many groceries. And on another note, I would have bought you some lunch had you helped me."

"Come on, Naruto," Temari interrupted, "I'll help you even if he won't" she glared at Shikamaru, who gave a startled jerk. He regained his composure quickly though, and turned on his heel to walk away, groceries in hand.

"Whatever," he said wearily as he strolled away.

"Don't mind Shikamaru, he's just in a bad mood cause they didn't have his favorite brand of coffee."

Naruto thought for a second. "Okay! But why help me? I didn't really expect to have you helping me." He said, eyeing Temari suspiciously.

"Well," Temari started rather slowly, "I don't know THAT many people here in Konoha, and the people I do know seem to be on missions all the time. I've been looking for something, anything really, to do." She saw the look of slight sadness on Naruto's face, and realized that she'd basically told him that he was a tool to relieve her boredom, and felt a slight pang of sorrow. She noticed he still favored his left shoulder, which had been shattered in their last encounter with the hidden stone. "And, I never got the opportunity to properly thank you for saving my life on that last mission."

Naruto blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head. "Ahh, it was nothing, Temari, I was just doing the mission. And besides, it wasn't that much trouble." Naruto observed the slight awkwardness of the silence that rested between them after he said that. "Come on, I'll show you my old apartment."

As they walked, Naruto's mind began to wander, as did Temari's. Naruto, about what could possibly be waiting for him at the Namikaze estate; Temari, what could possibly be waiting for her at Naruto's apartment. She knew that he was the "number one knucklehead ninja of the leaf" which probably meant that his apartment would be littered with trash and clothes.

Naruto spoke. "You said you didn't have anything to do, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Why don't you go on a date with Shikamaru?"

"What?" Temari was genuinely puzzled.

Naruto wagged a finger at her. "Oh COME ON, Temari, every shinobi in the leaf knows that you two have the hots for each other.

"What? Ewww, no!" Temari practically screamed as she shoved Naruto away. _Me with Shikamaru? I can't even think of him that way, much less go on a date with him! I don't even see him romantically! He's more of a brother than anything. And besides, he's lazy and stubborn. _"How could you possibly think that? He's more of a brother to me than anything, really." _I've got half a mind to hit him right now,_ she thought as she glared at him.

"Hey! Easy on the shoulder," Naruto said, getting up from where Temari had pushed him, gripping his shoulder. "No matter how you slice it, you can't deny that you two do spend a lot of time together, every time you're in Konoha you're with him"

Temari was forced to think about this. _I have been spending a lot of time with him lately…_

"So we gonna head to my apartment or not?" Naruto said, another goofy smile on his face. Temari felt the urge to kick him in the gut, but she told him that she would help him, so she would.

"Yeah, sure squirt" she said wearily. He just smiled more. _What is this guy's deal? Seems nothing gets his spirits down. _Temari smiled. She liked a challenge.

Soon, they arrived at his apartment.

"I'll get some boxes from the closet," he said as he made his way into the apartment. "Make yourself at home."

His apartment was clean enough, but it could use some freshening up. Though the thing that surprised her most was the surprisingly small amount of belongings that he had. There was his bed, the table, a few sparse pieces of furniture and clothing, and his ramen, which also surprised her. _Does this kid live on ramen? _She thought as she let her eyes wander, then she saw it. She didn't really notice it when Naruto put it down on the kitchen table as he walked in, but now it captivated her attention. It was a scroll, but it seemed so out of place in a place like this. It was expensive; she knew that, expensive silk ties around each end accented the scroll, which was a traditional white, contrasting beautifully with the striped orange and black of the silk. The paper was inlaid with gold, and had a symbol she couldn't quite make out. It seemed so far removed, in a place like Naruto's apartment, where everything was so cheap and unimpressive, here was this scroll. She hesitantly reached for it. _Why does Naruto have a scroll like this? Did he steal it? _Her hand almost reached the scroll when a kunai lodged itself in the table between her hand and the scroll. She gave a startled squeak and recoiled, ready to defend herself. She then saw Naruto, standing there, still with his hand forward, all the jocularity and happiness gone from his eyes.

"Don't touch that scroll."

She could only stare at him. _Why the sudden change? What's so important about that scroll?_ "Why should I?" she said as she reached for it again. This time, the kunai he threw left a small nick in her left index finger.

"I said, don't touch that scroll." The voice came from behind her then. _A shadow clone? But when? _"It is a private message to me from my father, the only thing of His I have in this world. You will not touch it." Those last few words came out as little more than a growl that actually caused Temari to feel a tiny bit of fear, which she quickly pushed do a deep corner of her mind.

"You can't scare me, squirt."

"I don't want to, I just want to make it clear that you may touch anything in my house BUT that scroll. You won't like it if you do."

She drove her elbow into the shadow clone behind her, causing it to dissipate with a puff of smoke, and drew a kunai with one smooth motion.

"Why is that scroll so important to you anyway?" she yelled at him, half because he had thrown a kunai at her, half because he told her what to do.

"It's from my father." Naruto felt his anger growing.

"**We could crush her like a bug," the Kyubi tempted. **

Temari snorted. "Your father? I doubt THAT kind of scroll is something he'd give you, judging by your lifestyle," motioning to his apartment.

"**She insulted your father, don't you feel anything about that?" he said again. **

"_NO! I don't do that, it's not my way!" _

"**Naruto, don't you love your father? Do you really want one of the scum Suna shinobi insulting his memory? Come on, you could do it quietly…" he said, honey dripping from his words. **

"SHUT UP KYUBI!" he screamed out loud, causing Temari to start. Naruto turned his eyes to her. His eyes were red. His canines also seemed to take on a sharper, longer appearance, and his whisker marks had become more pronounced. "And you! What do you know of my father, huh? You know nothing of my life, so stop talking about my father like he was some lowlife!" he roared, causing Temari to feel the first genuine fear of someone other than her younger brother, Gaara.

Temari was having trouble keeping her composure, the chakra emanating from him making her hair stand on end. She had to defuse this situation before they ended up destroying the building. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly and calmly. "Well, then tell me about your father"

Naruto's eyes seemed to take on a slightly less fearsome appearance, and the presence of his chakra softened. She also noticed that a tear was snaking its way down his cheek. She felt sorrowful that she had hurt him, though she didn't know why. She had never felt bad about hurting someone's feelings, but this time was different. _Why is he so different? _

"I never knew my father, he died shortly after I was born. His name was Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage!" Naruto stood tall in his mind when he said this. "And that is his last will and testament, and the only belonging of his that I own, and I will not have you touching it."

This statement genuinely shocked Temari. _This snot-nosed brat is the son of the fourth? How's he living in a dump like this? If he really is, then why isn't he wealthy?_

Naruto walked over to the table and picked up his scroll, never breaking eye contact with Temari, though the tears on his cheeks multiplied.

She spoke tentatively, almost gently, surprising even herself. "Then why don't you live somewhere nicer?

He broke eye contact and looked down. He raised the front of his shirt enough to allow her to see the seal that locked the nine tails within him. "I am the jinchuriki for the nine-tails that my father died sealing. If anyone knows what it's like, you do, you're Gaara's brother." He met her eyes again. "Everyone was afraid of me, and as a result of that fear, they hated me as well. I got beaten up on a regular basis, because the thing living inside me attacked my village and killed my father; and I am punished for it." He turned around and walked to the bedroom, where he put the scroll down with an uncharacteristic gentleness.

_He's just like Gaara, but he's different, _Temari thought, _he's just a lonely kid who's had his fate chosen for him. I shouldn't care about him, but I can't help but feel bad for him because of what he is. _

His voice came from the doorway, startling her from her thoughts. "You don't have to help me if you don't want to, I don't expect you to really care, though."

The reply came, unbidden, to Temari's lips. "It's okay, Naruto, I can help." She couldn't believe she'd actually said that. "And I wanted to say that I'm sorry for insulting your father, I didn't know."

Naruto's features softened a bit, and his teeth became more normal. "I know you didn't, I just can't abide people talking bad about a man who saved this village, much less my father." He gave a weak smile. "So let's get these boxes filled, shall we?"

"Sure."

The packing seemed uneventful, except for the occasional question by Temari as to where something went. It was quiet in the apartment, but in Temari's mind, it was tumultuous. _Why did I stay and help him? Why did I even offer in the first place? _Her mind was distracted and she felt herself drop something, followed by the sound of breaking glass. She looked down and saw a picture frame with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, along with Kakashi.

Naruto came out of the kitchen. "What happened?"

"I dropped your picture frame, I'm sorry" _why did I just apologize? _

"It's all right, Temari, it's just the glass that's broken" he said as he slid the picture out and put it on top of one of the boxes.

Temari felt curiosity rise within her. "So you were a team member with Sasuke Uchiha?"

"I was." Came his reply.

"It must have been hard, seeing him betray the village and run away." She said, absently rubbing the wall.

He paused. "Yeah, yeah it was. I may not have liked him at first, but we developed a companionship. We were comrades. It was hard on all of us, in more ways than one." _Sakura especially_, he thought with a sigh as he eyed the picture, refusing to meet her probing eyes. He relived his battles with Sasuke, both as comrade and enemy, in that moment; all the rivalry, all the hatred, all the conflict.

She noticed his mood yet again, and felt a desire to comfort him, which she recognized as very unlike her. "Let's move those boxes, Naruto."

"Yeah, let's do that," Naruto said as a smile broke out on his face "yeah, just let me get this box" he motioned to one of the largest boxes in the room. As he began to lift it, he gave a grunt of pain and gripped his shoulder. "Damn shoulder…" he said as he collapsed over the box.

Temari rushed to his side almost without thinking. "Are you okay?" she touched his shoulder gently. "You shouldn't exert yourself so much after you broke your shoulder." She said, the concern thick in her voice.

"Heh, I'll be fine, just give me a second to fix this up," he said as he removed himself from Temari's grasp.

"What?" Temari inquired, "how are you gonna fix a broken shoulder in just a second?"

"It's a special power unique to the Kyubi, it takes a shitload of chakra, but it's a nice power to have." As he said this, he turned to face her, and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. As he did this, Temari saw a slight red glow extend from his body, bathing him with a slightly red hue. He put his hands together; and extending them outwards from his body, expanded the glow into a distinct sphere around his body. The glow intensified until his body was barely visible. It stayed that way for about five seconds, and then suddenly a loud popping sound emanated from the sphere. A loud whooshing like a strong wind followed, the condensed chakra around his body being sucked into his shoulder. As the last bit of chakra was sucked in, Naruto screamed and fell to the ground, panting heavily. Temari ran to him again.

_What kind of jutsu was that? Maybe he really is the son of the fourth, _she thought as he began to get up. _He really is amazing. _Temari had never been one to like a guy, but this Naruto had captivated her since they had met. _Why is this one so different, _she asked herself as she helped him to his feet. Naruto's chakra reserves were legendary among the hidden leaf, and her being a liaison had let her clue into this. As his breathing steadied he returned her gaze. _His eyes are so beautiful,_ she thought absently. Their faces were so close, she might…

And that's when she kissed him.

It was a quick kiss, just a touching of the lips, but it held so much more for her. It was her first kiss.

Naruto had never been one to blush, but this caused him to blush a deep hue, along with her. "Uhh, what was that for?" he said nervously.

Temari overcame her blush and smiled a bit.

"I said I never go to properly thank you for saving my life." She kissed him again, this time more confidently, and he kissed back, much to her surprise. "Thank you."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey you guys, This is actually part of a larger story, didn't know if you all knew that, but that's the way it is, when I first uploaded it, I didn't know it'd show up as it's own story, so good for all of you, there's more to this story! this is actually chapter 2 of a much larger story entitled The Last Will and Testament of Minato Namikaze.

do a search for the name above you'll find it, under redrout as the author. or you can visit my profile, I've only got 2 stories active now.

and again, very sorry for uploading as a story not as a chapter.


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